Many radio frequency (RF) based applications, and especially those related to ground penetration radars (GPR), underwater radars and underwater communication, involve antennas which are required to meet RF specifications, e.g., wide frequency range and gain, while maintaining small dimensions and resistance to extreme environmental conditions.
Environmental conditions might include extreme pressure, shock, vibrations, bending moment, shear and temperature, which are common in applications when the antenna is attached, for example, to moving parts of machinery. In some applications temperature extreme is experienced as well as exposure to non-solid materials such as soil and water.
Therefore, there is a growing need to provide an antenna solution which allows radio and radar technique to be used in extreme environments.